Nature's Nobility
by Gril4Life
Summary: Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange kidnap a muggleborn child in their desperation to have kids, upon realizing that Bellatrix is barren. How will the life of Hermione Cassiopeia Lestrange turn out, when she befriends the enemy and falls in love with the wrong person? AU. Warnings inside.
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

**Disclaimer: If you for some reason think that the Harry Potter universe belongs to me, I must dissappoint and tell you that it doesn't :(**

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**WARNINGS:**

**Kidnapping, Self Injury, rape, curse words, sexual content, smoking, drugs, teen pregnancy, homosexuality, pureblood bigotry, character death, Lucius bashing, Dumbledore bashing, dark!Hermione, mental illness, violence... And all that jazz**

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**Chapter one**

**_Prologue_**

Bellatrix Lestrange would never forget the day she was told, that she was unable to bear her own children. She had never been that furious in her entire life, and it had resulted in the torture of many healers at st. Mungo's. It was not that it was really a surprise; many purebloods had trouble carrying children to term. It was a fairly common issue in the society, in which she had grown up. However, being told that she could not possibly have her own children, had been devastating news. She had made a respectable pureblood marriage for the very reason, that she wanted to put more worthy children in the world. Children who _deserved _their magic. The Dark Lord _deserved_ more loyal servants, and she had genuinely thought that he could provide him with those. So in an act of desperation, she and her husband did something terrible, that no one was supposed to know about. They killed two muggles, and kidnapped their daughter. They obliviated the girl, although she was only six months old, and pretended that she was theirs. Rodolphus had been keeping an eye on the muggles, and when their daughter had shown signs of magic, he could not help but envy them. Jealousy towards muggles was not a feeling that he appreciated. As soon as the girl was in their hands, they changed her middle – and last name, and started raising her as their own.

Bellatrix had never been happier than in the much too short time that she had with Hermione Cassiopeia Lestrange, who turned out to be an incredibly clever young girl. Of course they had to discipline her, but that was a part of being a parent, was it not? Rodolphus and her certainly agreed about that. All respectable purebloods did. Hermione, although only a toddler seemed to understand that. Bellatrix of course guarded the secret, that Hermione was not her daughter by blood very well. In fact, the only person apart from Rodolphus and herself aware of this deception, was her sister Narcissa, who had sworn the unbreakable vow not to tell anyone about the deception. She had also drawn up an engagement contract between her small daughter, and a respectable young pureblood wizard by the name of Vincent Crabbe. Bellatrix was very well aware that the young man was not exactly going to turn out attractive, but that did not really matter. Vincent Crabbe's father served the Dark Lord alongside Rodolphus and her, and it was expected of him to serve the Dark Lord as well, when he graduated from Hogwarts.

When Hermione was two, however, the most unfortunate thing possible happened. The Dark Lord fell, when he attempted to kill a young half-blood by the name of Harry Potter. No one was really sure what had happened. It was impossible for a kid that had not even turned to yet, to match the Dark Lord in power. Bellatrix certainly did not believe that that was the case. Neither did the small group of loyal Death Eaters that did not try to deny their service to their Lord. Rodolphus, his younger brother Rabastan, a man by the name of Barty Crouch Jr., and herself were desperate to find out what happened. That was how they ended up torturing Alice and Frank Longbottom, who were both Aurors and had been fighting the Dark Lord in the Order of Phoenix to insanity. They had wanted information about what had really happened, and in rage they had ended up taking it out on the couple. Not that they felt any remorse about it; Alice and Frank Longbottom were considered blood-traitors, which was one of the worst possible things that the little group of Death Eaters could think of.

The torture of the Longbottoms however, had caused them to be convicted and sent to Azkaban. That was when Hermione Lestrange was sent to live with Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy – her aunt and godfather – and her cousin Draco, who was her age. In the first weeks, the two-year-old had cried constantly. She had missed her mother's touch, however unkind and cold it could be at times, and she had not been able to understand where her parents were. After some time, however, she adjusted. She loved her aunt and cousin dearly, and she tolerated Lucius even though he could be chillingly unpleasant and scary at times. She was a very well-behaved young lady who learnt quickly how to carry herself, how she should speak, and what good etiquette was. She would often be brought to tea parties with other high society magical females with her aunt, and she quickly befriended Daphne Greengrass and Pansy Parkinson, who were both raised similarly to her. Hermione, who had never been told about her parents' crime however, wondered why she was receiving such cold treatment by Augusta Longbottom, an older witch with a hard front, who apparently had a grandson Hermione's age. She was still behaving as she was supposed to around the woman, though, she just avoided her whenever possible.

Growing up, Draco and her were taught certain morals, read certain books, and was instructed in who was worthy of their attention, and who was not. Hermione furthermore was instructed that she was not to be alone with anyone of the opposite sex, and that she was to be chaperoned by either a family member, her fiancé or another female. However tiresome Hermione found these rules, she did not protest to them. She knew better than to cross her elders, especially considering the punishment they provided. She did not fancy being beaten, slapped, jinxed or cursed, and she was fairly sure that the punishment for being improper was in the worse end.

As she grew up slowly, she grew very fond of her blond cousin. He always seemed to protect her, or help her when she was in trouble. He was easy to have a civilized discussion with, and for most part they agreed on how the world was supposed to be. They confided their secrets in each other, and covered for each other when they broke rules. Hermione had told him about how much she dreaded being betrothed to Vincent Crabbe, and Draco in return told Hermione that he wanted to marry Pansy Parkinson when he grew up. Hermione had been fairly happy about that, because that would make Pansy her family, and because it meant that she would never lose contact with her dear friend.

The family made frequent trips to Diagon Alley, where they bought Hermione appropriate dresses, and Draco handsome robes. Often Lucius would leave Narcissa with the children, while taking trips to Knockturn alley, to purchase less... Regular supplies.

Aunt Narcissa treated Hermione like her own daughter, which Draco claimed was because she had always secretly wanted a girl. But Hermione was not just any girl. She was a young, beautiful, graceful pureblood witch, who was going to be very successful someday. Narcissa knew that her sister firmly believed that the Dark Lord would return, but she could not help but to hope that she was wrong. She knew that if he did, Bellatrix would guilt Hermione into taking the Dark Mark, and she did not want to see that. She was also scared for Draco, but as Lucius was slightly less unstable than his sister-in-law, she felt sure that he was not going to force his son.

The years passed, and the children grew up. Narcissa felt very melancholic the day that two owls arrived with identical letters sealed with the Hogwarts crest. Her son and niece was growing up. They were going to Hogwarts this summer. It was both a happy, and a sad thought. She just hoped that they would both be sorted into Slytherin, knowing that Lucius would throw a fit if they did not. Of course he had also made the eleven-year-olds very aware that this was the only acceptable place to be sorted into. Narcissa regretfully remembered the day that her cousin, Sirius Black had been sorted into Gryffindor, and how their family had reacted to that. She did not want that image to repeat itself.

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**A/N:**

**Okay, so I decided to upload this, although I had promised myself to wait until I was done. I have everything up until chapter twenty nine written now, so I will update somewhat frequantly...**

**Please review! :D**


	2. Chapter 2: Filth

**Chapter two**

_Filth_

Hermione Cassiopeia Lestrange was sitting in a compartment on the Hogwarts express around familiar faces. She was sitting with her cousin Draco, Pansy Parkinson, Daphne Greengrass, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle and Blaise Zabini. They were all chatting eagerly about where they thought they would be sorted, and what classes they were sure were going to be great. They all agreed that Slytherin was the best house as they all had parents from they house, and had been raised to believe so. That was when the door opened, and a pale boy with red hair, freckles and dirt on his nose opened the door to their compartment. Hermione did not recognize him, but she recognized his characteristics. He was the spitting image of a Weasley, who Uncle Lucius never had anything nice to say about.

"What do you want?" she frowned slightly, having a hard time not focusing on the dirt on his nose. If she was right about his identity, he _was_ a pureblood, and blood-traitor or not, he should not have a nose covered in dirt. It was unsanitary and unsightly. His face reddened when he heard the tone of his voice.

"Has any of you seen a toad? Some bloke named Neville lost his" he sounded shy, and his voice was unbelievably irritating. Hermione frown turned into a sneer. No respectable wizard would have a _toad_ as a pet, that was for sure. Toads were dirty, foul, slimy creatures. She was about to say something, but Draco beat her to it.

"No, we have certainly not, _Weasley_." the smirk that played on his lips was mean, and Hermione knew exactly what that meant. It was the same smirk that he used when their house elf Dobby punished himself, or when he had played a vicious pranks on less intelligent beings, like her fiancé and his best friend. Then his evil smirk turned into a mock-smile, which made it obvious to anyone who knew Draco, that he considered the Weasley-boy his inferior. "Excuse me for not introducing myself. Just because everyone can see your family heritage on you, it does not mean that you know who I am. My name is Draco Malfoy, and these" - he gestured to the others in the compartment - "are my friends."

"Your attitude certainly shows your bloody family heritage, _Malfoy_" Weasley said, his ears turning red. "And I don't see what you have to be so proud about."

"Don't you _dare_ insult Draco." Hermione's eyes fell on the irritating red head. She now knew why uncle Lucius did not like the Weasleys. This boy had just interrupted without apologizing, walked into their compartment without introducing himself and insulted the Malfoy family in less that five minutes. He was being beyond rude, and she wondered how he could have been raised in a pureblood family, without having learnt anything about how to behave. "He is ten times the person that _you _will ever be. Did your parents not teach you how to behave, or are you just ignoring them? You do not _ever _walk into a room filled with strangers without introducing yourself." she had a cold arrogant glare.

"Oh, I'm _sorry_, I'm Ron Weasley." the boy mocked. "And I supposed that you knew that, since your dear boyfriend_Draco _knew my last name. Now who might you be?"

"First of all, Draco is my cousin, and what you are insinuating is beyond disgusting. My name however, is Hermione Cassiopeia Lestrange." Hermione's cold eyes met the eyes of the boy, who looked at her with pure disgust on his face. "And you have dirt on your nose."

"I don't bloody care." The boy, Ronald said and walked out, slamming the door. Draco smirked at Hermione.

"I see what your father meant, Draco. The Weasleys are unpleasant and badly behaved. I really hope that I do not end in the same house as that boy." Hermione commented. Everyone in the group laughed, and Vincent Crabbe kept looking at her with a strange look in his eyes, that she could not quite pinpoint.

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When the sorting hat had finished singing, Hermione Lestrange found herself nervously squeezing the hand of her fiancé, because he was the only person that she could appropriately hold hands with. She found him repulsive, but she also needed the comfort of having someone close to her, and that was most prominent to her. She wanted to do honour by her parents, and get sorted into their house. She was also afraid of how Lucius and Narcissa would react if she did not get sorted into Slytherin. Her aunt had been very fond of Hermione's mother, and therefore wanted for her to be proud. Lucius on the other hand, did not want a god daughter in another house. His reaction to her going anywhere else would be terrifying. And then there was Draco. Draco was her best friend and cousin, and she did not want to be separated from him... And he was the definition Slytherin. Another part of her was curious as to where Vincent would be sorted, considering that he was not fit for any house at Hogwarts.

"Abbott, Hannah!" the strict-looking professor, whom Hermione knew to be the head of Gryffindor house called out. A shy looking young girl walked forward, and after a short moment she was sorted into Hufflepuff. The badger table cheered loudly, and the girl blushed as she sat down there.

"If they put me in Hufflepuff I would kill myself" Hermione whispered to Pansy Parkinson, who giggled at her comment and agreed. After Baker, James was sorted into Ravenclaw, and Brown, Lavender was put in Gryffindor Hermione had to let go of Vincent's hand.

"Crabbe, Vincent!" Professor McGanagoll spoke up. Hermione forced herself to nod reassuringly at the boy, whom she was going to be married to one day. He sent her a smile that looked slightly more like a grimace, and sat down at the stool in front of the whole school.

"_SLYTHERIN!"_ the hat yelled after some time, and Hermione clapped her hands happily. If he could be sorted into Slytherin, so could she, although the only reason that he had been, was probably his blood status. She smiled faintly. Goyle was also sorted into Slytherin, much to Vincent's pleasure. Those two would probably die if they did not how each other, and Draco to boss them around.

After watching several first-years being put into different houses, Hermione felt the butterflies in her stomach. She sighed, as she heard her name being called out. "Lestrange, Hermione!" the professor looked, as she frowned carefully at Hermione, as though she was going to jump up and curse the whole student body. Hermione felt slightly offended by the piercing glare, but she did not say anything. Instead she elegantly floated towards the small stool, and the professor put the unsanitary worn-out had on her hair, that Aunt Narcissa had spent an hour to make less rigid. Of course she was told to do so too every single day, and she was planning on obeying. She hated the natural bushiness of her hair, so she would do it with great pleasure.

"_Hmm... Very curious"_ she heard a voice say into her ear. She knew it was the hat, but she could not help but feel offended by the fact that it found her _curious_. "_Don't be offended, Miss Lestrange, but... You are clever, loyal cunning and brave. You possess qualities of all houses. I see that you wish to be in Slytherin... You indeed would do very well there, although I could also see you in Ravenclaw or Gryffindor..._" the hat's voice almost whispered, and Hermione frowned slightly.

"_I _have _to be in Slytherin. Gryffindor is out of the question. I would probably be disowned immediately._" she told the hat, through her thoughts. "_Please..._"

"_I do not object to that, Miss Lestrange. You do possess quite a great deal of Slytherin traits. You would do good in Gryffindor too, though. Hmm... Oh, well. SLYTHERIN!_" the hat announced, and Hermione smiled brightly. She then looked at the first-years who had yet to be sorted, to make eye contact with Draco. She caught the look of disgust in Ron Weasley's eyes, and a pair of piercing, emerald green eyes from a much too skinny boy next to him. She then hurried towards her group of friends.

At the end of the sorting, all of her friends had joined her at the Slytherin table. The skinny boy with green eyes had proved to be Harry Potter, Neville Longbottom and Ron Weasley and him were both sorted into Gryffindor, which no one was really surprised about. The welcome feast was incredible, and afterwards the fifth year prefect led them to the dungeons, and at an empty wall, the prefect suddenly stopped.

"Devil's snare" the prefect said, and the door the common room opened. Hermione, Daphne and Pansy all walked straight to the dorm that they shared with Tracey Davis and Millicent Bulstrode, and went to sleep. It had been an amazing day.

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_Dearest Auntie Narcissa_

_Yesterday Draco and I arrived at Hogwarts. And guess what? The hat put us both in Slytherin! The feast was incredible, and the older students in our house has been very polite towards us. Vincent was sorted into Slytherin too, of course. Oh, and just to warn you... I believe that Draco is considering a serious courtship of Pansy Parkinson. He is quite fascinated by her, and she by him too. Now, I have a question that I would like to ask you, and of course you do not have to answer it if you do not want to, but... During tea Augusta Longbottom always sends me strange glares, and yesterday during the sorting, her grandson Neville Longbottom's face went extremely pale when my name was said. Is there anything I have done to offend the Longbottom family? Because I do not recall ever having done so... Anyway, send Lucius my love, and I promised Draco to say hello from him too...  
Yours truly  
Hermione Cassiopeia Lestrange_

Hermione sent her beautiful black owl towards the Malfoy Manor, with a slight smile on her face. She was proud about her sorting, but somehow the Longbottom thing plagued her. She did not know why, but that Neville boy had looked at her with a mix of anger and fright through the whole feast. It was really strange. She had linked it together with the behaviour of his grandmother.

"Hermione? Are you coming?" She heard Daphne Greengrass ask from the door to the owlery. Hermione smiled at her, and nodded.

"Of course, Daphne... I believe that our first class is potions" Hermione floated politely towards her with a smile. Daphne looked at her, wondering how she had gotten such grace at the age of eleven. Sure, her mother had tried to teach her the same things, but she was much too young to have mastered it completely.

"It is... With Gryffindor" Daphne sent Hermione a look, that told everything about what she thought of Gryffindor house. Hermione returned the look, as she felt the same way. Who would want to be a reckless show off and a blood-traitor at the same time? Hermione knew that some of the ladies she drank tea with had been in Gryffindor as well, but she had never really understood that. Her aunt and godfather had taught her, that if she did not get sorted into Slytherin, she would not be looked upon as a respectable pureblood witch... So why were those ladies accepted?  
"At least Professor Snape is potions master..." Hermione said, with a graceful smile. Her front teeth had naturally been a bit too big, but her Aunt Narcissa had magically reduced them, so her smile was really nice now. "I believe that he will not pick favourites... At least he will not prefer _saint_ Potter, luckily. Why everyone thinks he is so special, I do not get"

"Me neither." the girls were walking towards the potions classroom. "I mean, no one actually _knows_ what happened that night where they say he beat the Dark Lord. Why are everyone so sure that he did?"

But before Hermione could answer, she spotted Draco, Vincent, Gregory, Blaise and Pansy. She waved at them, and the two groups met up. Hermione smirked, as she heard Pansy laugh loudly at something Draco had said. She was very sure that Pansy would be very happy to let him court her, when time came. It would be a very appropriate union, and Hermione was pretty sure that Narcissa and Lucius would approve.

"Draco, I just owled your mother... I sent her your love, although you did not ask me to" Hermione smiled. "I also informed her that you were sorted into Slytherin... Not that she will be surprised, but you know how she gets." Hermione smiled happily at her very dear cousin.

"Thank you, Hermione" Draco smiled, and then looked at the group. "I ran into _saint Potter and Weasel _at breakfast. I do not know which one to feel sorrier for." her said, with mock thoughtfulness in his voice.

"I would say I feel sorrier for Weasel. Doesn't his family sleep in like, one bedroom?" Pansy Parkinson smirked evilly. Hermione and Daphne giggled, and Draco smirked. Blaise wrinkled his forehead.

"I don't really know... Potter _was_ raised by muggles, _and_ his mother was a mudblood." he frowned.

"Blaise, could I please ask you not to use that word? People might hear, and... While I do not exactly disagree with your statement, I just do not want anyone to dislike you because of your language..." Hermione said carefully, softly. In reality, something inside her felt wrong when she heard him use the foul word. She did not know why; she knew that Lucius and Narcissa did occasionally, when they were ranting about the filth that was let in at Hogwarts. It was just... If people heard her friend say it, she was worried that he would be hexed by someone. Not many people approved of the use of it, and while Hermione had grown up in a house where people said it, she knew that not everyone did.

"I guess..." Blaise sighed. Hermione had no doubt that he just did not want to argue with her. They walked down the stairs to the dungeons. As they entered the potions class room, the conversation stopped, and they all listened to Professor Snape carefully. Hermione had trouble not smirking, when she knew more than Harry Potter himself and professor Snape awarded her twenty house points.

All in all, Hermione really enjoyed going to Hogwarts, but she found herself longing to know her mother, and to get her approval. She hoped that she was anything that her mother had wanted her to be, and secretly wished that she would somehow get out of Azkaban. She knew that it was impossible, but she wanted it so, so badly.

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**I got too excited from the reviews and follows, and just ****_had_**** to update! I hope you like it...**


	3. Chapter 3: Halloween

**Chapter three**

_Halloween_

_Dear Hermione_

_I'm happy to hear that both Draco and you were sorted into Slytherin. You should have seen Lucius when I told him. I have never seen him so proud in his entire life... Except maybe on the day where Draco was born, that is. I did of course know that both of you would be in Slytherin; you've both shown promising traits in your personality. Your mother would be thrilled at the news, Hermione. The one thing that mattered the most to her was family. I'm also happy to hear__that Draco is interested in Pansy Parkinson. She is quite a proper young girl, and comes from a good family. Of course Draco will have to be older to court her seriously, though._

_You asked me about why the Longbottoms does not seem to like you very much. The truth is... They Dislike everyone who was on the Dark Lord's side during the war. I know that you were just a baby when it ended, and that you have nothing to do with what happened, but that's Gryffindors in a nutshell. They speak up against what they consider bigotry, and yet they judge people as soon as they hear their last name. It's a shame really, for had it not been for the obvious Gryffindor traits, they Longbottoms would be quite a lovely family. Lucius told me to send you his love, and say congratulations for being put in Slytherin. Also, tell that daft son of mine to write me._

_Love_

_Narcissa_

Hermione smiled happily, as she read the letter from her aunt Narcissa. She even reread the first paragraph several times. Her mother would have been proud of her? That was enough to make her smile, although she also felt somewhat hollow inside. For a short moment, she envied Draco. She knew that she was told to be proud of her parents, for not cowering, and not denying their support for the Dark Lord. And she was proud... She was proud that they stood up for what they believed in, and stayed loyal to their promise. But Draco had parents with him, to tell him that the world revolved around him. Aunt Narcissa was very nice to Hermione and took care of her, but Hermione really just wanted her mother. Sometimes when she slept, she saw the face of the convicted Death Eater. She was beautiful. Her eyes were filled with love.

"Hey, Hermione can I have your cards?" Blaise asked, pointing at the pile of chocolate frogs Narcissa had sent her. Of course she had also sent Draco candy, but as he was a collector himself, Blaise knew better than to ask him.

"Sure, when I've eaten the frogs..." Hermione replied with a distant look in her eyes. Lucius had snaked his way out of being captured by the Aurors, even though she had seen his Dark Mark on many occasions. She also knew somewhere inside her head, that if the Dark Lord was to ever return, both she and Draco would be marked. She knew that she would make a good servant, even though she did not believe in all of his ideals. She didn't understand why he would torture people before killing them, and it made no sense to her that he valued blood purity, and still killed purebloods for being so-called blood-traitors. Of course she understood why respectable purebloods would not want to breed with the people like the Weasleys. The ones she had been unfortunate enough to meet during her time in school, had been very unpleasant.

"Thanks! You're ace to have around!" Blaise smiled happily. Hermione could not help but be amused at the sight; Blaise usually never smiled. He preferred to look arrogantly indifferent to everything going on around him. "It's a shame that you are engaged to Crabbe, you know... You would make an amazing wife" Blaise said playfully.

"And I'm sure that Vincent will make an incredible husband." Hermione answered, coldly. As soon as she mentioned her husband-to-be, he showed up behind her, much to her annoyance. No matter how many times she pretended in public to be content with the arrangement, she dreaded the day that she would be married to the mountain of a boy. She secretly tanked Merlin that they would have house elves to cook, because if they would not, she would be in for more than she could take. "Good morning, Vincent."

"'morning..." she heard Vincent's lazy voice say behind her. She faked her best smile, and turned around. To her surprise, he was carrying a velvet box. When he saw her eyes on it, he just shrugged. "Mum told me to give you this, so here... Apparently some Crabbe family jewellery... You know, because you will be a Crabbe some day" he said, indifferently.

"Charming." Hermione just said, the hint of sarcasm in her voice obvious to everyone but Vincent. He was not exactly a clever boy, and he did not really try to be one either. Hermione opened the box, to find a beautiful ancient necklace in white gold, that was obviously goblin made. It was decorated with emeralds, in it had a snake pendant. Hermione closed the box, and put it in her bag. "Thank you dear."

* * *

Harry Potter was walking on the Hogwarts grounds with his two best friends Ron Weasley and Neville Longbottom. He could not help but feel content at the thought. He actually had friends. In the muggle world, he would have laughed if someone told him that someday he would. When he saw a blonde figure distantly away, he frowned.

"I wonder what Malfoy is up to..." he murmured. He and Draco Malfoy did not like each other at all. Of course that was mostly due to the fact that Malfoy had insulted his best friend while trying to befriend Harry himself, and due to the fact that Malfoy's father had been a loyal servant of Voldemort; the evil wizard who had killed Harry's parents.

"Well, it's Malfoy... So it can't be good, can it?" Ron wondered, looking at the figure from afar. What was odd was that Malfoy was usually surrounded by his bodyguards, and little fan club. Seeing him stand still, being alone on Hogwarts grounds was somewhat unfamiliar to them.

"He's probably just waiting for Hermione _Lestrange_" Neville sneered. While he was not the bravest of Gryffindors, he despised the Slytherin girl more than anything in the world. Neither Harry nor Ron knew why, and they were smarter than to ask. If Neville wanted to talk about it, he would.

"Well, considering that they're both bloody evil, I would have to agree with you there, mate..." Ron made a gagging sound, and Neville chuckled. Harry frowned slightly.

"You know, you pick much more on Lestrange than the other Slytherins..." he commented thoughtfully, wrinkling his forehead. "I don't get it. I know that she hangs around Malfoy a lot, but she never really says anything to us... She's very quiet."

"Of course she hangs around Malfoy, Harry, they're _cousins_." Ron said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Her parents are in Azkaban... They were very loyal supporters of you-know-who, and they did not even deny it. Dad says that they are responsible for more deaths than the entire Hogwarts staff could count on all of their fingers. _And _she was raised with _him_."

"And besides... She takes pride in being an insufferable know-it-all. It's no wonder that her family had to get her engaged with _Crabbe_. She would never be able to find a man who would willingly..." Neville did not get to finish his sentence, as he was being pushed slightly by a fragile figure, who was drying her eyes with her Slytherin scarf. She hurried up and walked past them as fast as possible, obviously crying.

"I'm pretty sure she heard that." Harry concluded dully. He knew that Ron was a git, and would not feel sorry for the girl, but he expected Neville to be compassionate. Much to his surprise, Neville just shook it off saying that the girl deserved it.

* * *

Draco Malfoy was worried out of his mind, although he would never admit it if you asked him. His beloved cousin was nowhere to be found, and he had heard rumours while eavesdropping on a couple of Gryffindor girls, that _the Lestrange-girl _was in girl's bathroom crying. While this obviously worried Draco even more, he would never willingly step into a bathroom intended for girls. He had been brought up to never even consider doing anything like that.

"Are you okay, Draco?" he heard Pansy's voice ask, as she dropped down next to him in the great hall. It was the night of Halloween, which meant that they had a feast. Draco looked over at Crabbe and Goyle, only to see them stuffing themselves with an incredible speed. He felt disgusted that Crabbe did not look the least bit worried, even though his betrothed was obviously missing. "You have seemed distant all day..."

"Hermione is missing" he stated, as he took a sip of his pumpkin juice. "And Longbottom is looking awfully smug, which is not like him at all."

"I head Brown and Patil talking about her... They said she was in the bathroom crying, and had tried to hex them when they came in." Draco heard Daphne Greengrass say. He kind of liked Daphne, although she did not really talk a lot. She was always there for Hermione who was like a sister to him, and that was good enough for him. "I think that Potter, Weasley and Longbottom insulted her or something... At least that's what the rumours say."

"I wonder what _saint Potter, Weasel and fatty_ had to say about an appropriate, clever pureblood." Pansy scoffed, scowling at the golden trio. Longbottom and Weasley did look awfully smug. She felt an urge to wipe the grins off of their faces with one of her infamous snide remarks.

"I just hope that she's okay." Draco concluded, and the group of girls nodded sympathetically. Their conversation however stopped when an extremely scared looking professor Quirrell ran into the great hall. Not that it was not normal for him to look, but this was worse than usual.

"TROLL IN THE DUNGEONS!" he yelled, shortly before he fainted. The great hall was in a state of panic, until professor Dumbledore instructed them all to return to their dormitories led by their prefects. Draco wondered why he would tell Slytherin house to do such a thing considering that their dormitory was placed in the dungeons, but he followed orders anyway.

* * *

"Ron, what about Hermione Lestrange?" Harry Potter asked his best friend, while Percy Weasley was enjoying his powerful position, trying to make the other students follow him to the Gryffindor tower.

"What about her?" Ron looked puzzled. He obviously did not understand why Harry would ask such a question, while the school was being attacked by a troll.

"Lavender and Pavarti said she was in the bathroom _crying _because of what you and Neville said. She obviously doesn't know about the troll!" the eleven-year-old boy felt somewhat sorry for the girl, even though she was a Slytherin and friends with Malfoy. He could not explain why, but she seemed different from the people she had befriended. She seemed quiet and modest.

"Harry, I swear to Merlin that if you get us killed saving Hermione _Lestrange, _I'll kill you." Ron shot Harry a death glare, but followed him when he left the line of Gryffindors to look for the Slytherin.

* * *

Hermione Lestrange could not say that she was particularly happy with the two boys that had saved her from the toll. Not that she was not happy to have been saved; she valued her own life quite a lot, but more because she was now in debt of Saint Potter and Weasel. It was not appropriate for her to owe a half-blood and a blood-traitor anything, but she knew that she did. And being an honourable person, she intended to help them however they needed. Of course she would not be alone with them, however. She was after all a young and respectable pureblood witch, who was to be married as soon as she turned seventeen. At least she had six years to prepare herself for the horror of marrying Vincent Crabbe.

"Are you okay, Hermione?" Daphne's voice was worried, and Hermione smiled a little. She loved her friends. While they would often engage in acts that was silly and unimportant, they were all very dear to her. Each and every one of them. Daphne and she was more like-minded than her and the others. Daphne too was quiet, refined and ladylike. She held much more determination than Hermione did, and while she was not as clever, she knew things that Hermione could only dream of knowing. Yes, Daphne Greengrass was a great friend to her, but no matter how much of a great friend she was, Hermione did not trust her completely. The only person that she could tell everything was Draco.

"I'm fine" Hermione crossed her legs, as she sat up on her four poster. She did not look particularly elegant; her hair was still bushy, and she was wearing a night gown, but that never seemed to bother her. "I just don't like the thought of being in debt to Potter and Weasley. The only reason I was in that bathroom to begin with, was because _they_ said... Anyway, you know how they are, Daphne... Potter is arrogant and Weasley is... Just disgusting."

"I know... I would not like it either, honestly. I do not get what their problem is, though. You never did _anything_ to offend them. It's classic Gryffindor behaviour on their part... They complain and moan about how every Slytherin is supposed to be judgemental, but they seem to be the judgemental ones. Just because you're smarter than them..." Daphne's eyes twinkled, and Hermione sent her a genuine smile. "Now, let's go fix your hair."

* * *

**A/N: Stupid troll ;)**

**Thanks for the reviews... They made me super happy (I was pracically dancing around my room, and for someone who doesn't get excited... That's a big deal).**

**Now, now... I will not reveal who Hermione is going to end up with, but I think that I might be able to surprise some of you out there :p**

**Oh well... I should actually be cleaning my room right now, but the internet got me hooked on Doctor Who...**

**See you soon! :D**


	4. Chapter 4: A very Happy Christmas

**Chapter four**

**_A very happy Christmas_**

"Hermione! A lady does not stomp, she floats!" Hermione heard aunt Narcissa's voice blame her, in an annoyed tone. It was Christmas break from Hogwarts, and the family house elf Dobby had just informed her, that Pansy, Daphne, Tracey and Millicent had arrived at the manor. Hermione had been eager to see her friends and dorm mates, and had for a small time forgotten not to run down the stairs. Although Narcissa's tone was annoyed, the amusement was obvious on her face. Hermione just smiled happily.

"Yes aunt Narcissa... Sorry" she said in a bored tone, and then hurried to greet her friends. "Hey girls!" she said, as she took turns to hug each one of them. Narcissa found the sight adorable.

"Why don't you girls go to the sitting room? I will have Dobby bring you some tea and snacks" Narcissa smiled fondly at her niece and her friends, proud of the fact that they were all from respectable families. She took some extra time to eye Pansy Parkinson however, trying to figure out if she found the young girl worthy of her son. The girls just giggled.

"Sounds good to me. Thank you, aunt Narcissa" Hermione said, and gracefully led the girls into the sitting room. She then sat down on an emerald green couch, and looked at the other girls. "Draco is out playing quidditch with some of the boys from our year. You know how they get as soon as they see a broomstick" she smiled amused at the other girls, who nodded.

"I hear that Draco is an excellent flyer, though. It's a mystery why the Potter boy gets to play quidditch in his first year, and Draco does not... I mean, did you see him in his match against us? He almost _swallowed _the snitch!" Pansy mocked, wrinkling her nose. Hermione found the sight amusing, although she did not exactly disagree with Pansy.

"It's because he's Harry Potter. Dumbledore seems to favour him quite a lot, so I can not really say that I'm surprised" Tracey Davis commented. She rarely ever said anything when they spoke, because she was a half-blood, and if she did not agree with the group Pansy would make a mean comment about her family heritage. Hermione found it highly unnecessary, but as she knew there was no arguing with Pansy she had chosen not to comment on it. This however, was a somewhat harmless topic for her. "At least professor Snape puts him in place"

"Yeah, but he _is_ awful at potions. It would be a scandal if professor Snape did not put him in his place" an evil smirked played on Daphne's lips. "Not that he's really all that good at any classes. It kind of explains why he hangs out with Longbottom and Weasley, doesn't it? He needs to watch people dafter than him to feel good about himself."

"Without doubt!" Hermione rolled her eyes as she thought about the two repulsive boys that always hung around Harry Potter. Then she remembered what had happened on Halloween. "The Longbottom-boy even dared to insult my engagement to Vincent Crabbe. I believe that he was about to say that I needed an arranged marriage because no one would willingly put up with me when I pushed him. The little traitor obviously does not understand the need for keeping the bloodline pure."

"Well, not for anything, Hermione, but Crabbe is not exactly... The ideal man, is he? I mean, he's kind of daft, and never does anything but stuffing himself" Tracey Davis stated nervously. Before Hermione could answer her, Pansy came in to her defence.

"Why you little... Oh wait, I forgot. You do not understand the importance of keeping your bloodline pure either, right, you filthy half-blood?" Pansy's eyes were cruel, as she silently challenged Tracey Davis to insult her friend again. For the first time in her life, Hermione smiled at Pansy's insult.

"Oh Pansy dear, I'm _sure_ that Tracey here knows better than to argue with keeping ones bloodline clean. Her grandmother has mud running through her veins, after all. She has seen what happens when respectable wizards breed with filth, and the results are not pretty." Millicent Bulstrode who had been quiet up until now smirked. Pansy smirked back at her, and Hermione and Daphne exchanged dark looks. Once those two got started talking about proper breeding, they would never stop.

"Wait, _Longbottom _said that no one would put up with _you_ Hermione?" Daphne hurried to say. Tracey looked relieved at the attention leaving her blood status. "That a laugh. Ten galleons says that Longbottom will never get married."

"Oh, I don't know about that" Hermione smirked at Daphne's suggestions. "He might find some _Muggle, _and marry her. If he was clever enough, I would say that he could use love potion, but he will never actually be able to brew it."

"That sounds like a bet to me" Daphne smirked. "Potter will get married someday... Only because he's _famous_ of course, but I bet that he could find a girl daft enough to bring him children. As for Weasley... Well, he would have to clean his nose first, would he not?" the rest of the girls laughed. This was one of their usual conversation topics alongside with quidditch, their friends and how amazing wives they would make once they had finished school. Sometimes the topics of different professors, and how Dumbledore was obviously mad sneaked their way into their conversations as well.

Hermione was sitting at a tea party at the Greengrass estate. She shared a table with the other children; Pansy, Millicent, Daphne and Daphne's younger sister Astoria. She was dressed in a pastel green silk dress, and wore the Crabbe family necklace that Vincent had given her. His mother was present, and she knew that she was to pay respect by wearing the gifted jewellery. It was a signal to the world that she was to join the Crabbe family when she was of age. _Hermione Cassiopeia Crabbe_... She did not like the thought of having that name at all. She wished that she could keep her own proud family name, but that was a privilege that alongside with many others belonged exclusively to boys. It was a bitter thought.

"Does Draco ever talk about me?" Pansy asked the group of girls, with a colour on her cheeks that Hermione suspected was a genuine blush. She had to disguise a laugh as a sneeze.

"Well, you're friends, so he obviously mentions you every once in a while..." Hermione smirked. "You know, about how _ace_ it was when you told off Patil during flying lessons, or that he hopes that you come and visit me during breaks... Then of course he also talks about how proud his father would be if he courted a girl of your heritage" Hermione's eyes twinkled as she saw the huge smile on Pansy's lips. Why Draco was not courting her already, Hermione did not understand. He obviously had a crush on her, which she just as obviously returned. She was a respectable pureblood, she was in Slytherin, and she was... Somewhat well-behaved.

"Hermione, I don't think that you should tell Pans such things... She might explode with happiness" Daphne smirked. "And a happy Pansy would be the most horrifying thing we would have ever seen. She might even stop making snide remarks and taunt Gryffindors!" Daphne said with mock-concern.

"Never!" Pansy's eyes went wide, and she pretended to be shocked by the mere suggestion that she would change. Then she broke down giggling, and the other girls joined her. The giggling fit continued, until Hermione caught Augusta Longbottom look at her with pure hatred in her eyes. Hermione decided to do something very unlike herself, and looked at with friends.

"I will be back in a minute" she assured them, as she stood up and walked towards the older, slightly intimidating witch. She then stopped right in front of her, and put on a mask of politeness rather than annoyance. "Hello Mrs. Longbottom. How have you been doing?"

"Just fine." the older witch said, with a scowl on her face. Hermione just smiled politely at her and kept standing, until Augusta Longbottom felt awkwardly forced to speak. "You went to Hogwarts this year, correct?"

"Oh yes, I most certainly did. It's quite an incredible place. It never fails to impress me." Hermione answered, although she knew that she sounded unimpressed. She was going to use all of her Slytherin-cunningness to get to the bottom of why the Longbottoms seemed to despise her so much. She knew what aunt Narcissa said could not be the whole truth. It might be for Neville, but for the older witch standing in front of her, she doubted it very much. "But you have probably heard all about how amazing the castle is from your grandson Neville. I would not want to bother you with it."

"Very well. Neville mentioned that you are a Slytherin?" the hatred became more prominent in her eyes. "Not that I think it would surprise anyone. You are the spitting image of your mother, after all" Augusta concluded, as though it was supposed to be an insult. So maybe aunt Narcissa was right after all. Maybe the dislike that these people showed her really was all about how her family had supported the Dark Lord. She personally could not see the big deal, though. Why did people care so much? It was in the past after all, and surely they understood that possessing magic was a clear sign of superiority towards muggles. It was not fair that they had to hide from their inferiors, just because the Ministry said so.

"Why, thank you Mrs. Longbottom, but as I am sure you know I do not remember ever meeting my mother, so I would not be able to have an opinion on that." she sent the old woman a small superior smile. "Although most people prefer to compare me with my aunt Narcissa. But then again, that is not very strange considering that I was raised by her."

"I suppose not." Augusta said, eyeing the necklace that Hermione was wearing. "I see that the Crabbe family already decided to shower you in family jewellery? How... Thoughtful of them. Now, if you will excuse me miss Lestrange I have someone that I simply must talk to." and without another word, Augusta Longbottom left her standing their. On the inside, Hermione felt a rush of fury, but she knew better than to express it in front of everyone at a tea. That was not how a young lady behaved, and she knew that her aunt would not appreciate her acting out at a tea. Instead she walked back to the table with her friends.

"I understand how Longbottom turned out to be such a git now. His grandmother is insufferable to be around." she said with an eye roll. "Although it still startles me that he was put in Gryffindor. The boy has no backbone, and he _clearly_ belongs in Hufflepuff."

It was Christmas Eve, and the Malfoy family had their annual dinner, where lots of influential and important families came. Amongst their guest were the Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge, the Parkinson family, Mrs. Zabini and her fifth husband (the other four had mysteriously died), Barty Crouch Sr., the Greengrass family, the Crabbe family, professor Snape and many more. Personally, Hermione was just happy that she had the company of Draco, Pansy and Daphne, because if they had not been there, she was pretty sure that she would have died of boredom. She had always hated the Malfoy Christmas dinners, but had of course never informed her aunt and uncle about that fact. She had seen Draco, who had been far more vocal about his opinions being punished by Lucius because of this. Hermione knew that Lucius was very fond of his son, but as he came from a family that valued tradition above all else, he did not really feel that he had any other choice than to punish his son for such impoliteness.

"Mistress said that Dobby should tell Miss Hermione to go downstairs. The guests is here." the family house elf, Dobby told Hermione who had just finished braiding her hair. She was dressed in a silver gown today, and was wearing earrings with snakes. She had also put on the Crabbe family necklace for the one reason that her aunt had told her to. She looked quite pretty.

"Yes, Dobby" she simply answered, as she started to walk downstairs. The Manor was beautifully decorated in different shades of green, while still keeping its dark appearance. She slowly walked towards the ballroom, where she knew that the guests would be until dinner actually started. She sighed deeply, and walked in.

"Hermione, you have really grown a lot." Mrs. Crabbe said, with a fond smile on her face. Hermione politely returned the smile, and pretended not to be uncomfortable when her future mother-in-law hugged her.

"Thank you Mrs. Crabbe. It is very good to see you again. How are you doing?" she asked, engaging in polite small-talk with the older woman. This was one of the things that she had been taught how to, and even if she had been awakened in the middle of the night by a bunch of strangers, she would still be able to.

"I am doing very well, thank you dear. Bertrand and I just returned from a lovely trip to France. You know, I was right when I told Vincent that that necklace would fit you. You look excellent..." Mrs. Crabbe complimented her. Hermione knew that it was merely and acknowledgement of the fact that she proudly wore the betrothal present, but she did not comment on it. "How about you, dear? How is your first year at Hogwarts?"

"Oh, it is really incredible. I was sorted into Slytherin house, as your son has probably informed you, and it is very nice to be around like-minded people of wizardkind, although I must say that I was simply shocked by some of the filth that they allow in there." Hermione said with a superior smile on her face, while thinking about Ronald Weasley. The boy really got on her nerves with his prejudice, and the way he treated poor Draco.

"I understand what you mean. On my first year I was simply _shocked _to find out that muggleborns and blood-traitors were allowed into such a fine institution. I actually considered sending Vincent to Durmstrang because of it, but it is so far away, and I could not have my little boy study overseas" Hermione wondered how anyone could consider Vincent little. Next to every other first-year student (except maybe Goyle) he looked like a mountain, but she was polite enough not to comment on it. She knew that Christabel Crabbe was fond of her, and she did not see any reason for that to change. Therefore, she smiled at the statement.

"Well, I for one am happy that he went to Hogwarts. I simply can not imagine being away from him." she lied slyly. Then she spotted her friends, and looked at Mrs. Crabbe once again. "Mrs. Crabbe I am terribly sorry, but I have something important to speak to Pansy and Daphne about. Happy Christmas." Hermione said, as she walked towards the two girls.

When Hermione woke up the next day, she hurried to get dressed and braid her hair. She then ran soundlessly down the stairs, and into the sitting room where Draco was already busy opening his presents. She smiled happily at him. "Happy Christmas, Draco!" she said, as she hugged him. "That one is from me." she added, and pointed at one of the packages. Draco smiled at her.

"Happy Christmas, Hermione! Dobby is making breakfast, and mother and father had to go meet Pansy's parents. It was apparently urgent." Draco said, rolling his eyes as he opened up the present that was currently on his lap. "Pansy gave me a _necklace_"

Hermione just smirked, and she started opening her presents. The first one was from Vincent, and the contents was a Slytherin scarf. "Well, at least Pansy gave you something of value." Hermione commented, with an eye roll. Daphne had given her a book about dark arts, Pansy had given her charm bracelet where the charms kept switching colours, and Blaise and Goyle had given her a box of Honeydukes chocolate. She then opened the present from Draco, which was a very beautiful emerald green dress. Her smile grew big when she looked at it. "Thank you, Draco" she said, and kissed him on the cheek. He smiled happily at her.

"You're welcome... I know how much you love green" he commented, as he opened the small package from Hermione. He smiled back at her, when he saw the goblin made Slytherin crest ring inside. "Thanks, Hermione... This is really cool."

"No problem..." Hermione replied, concentrating on her presents again. Lucius had given her quite a supply of Sleekeazy's hair potion, which she could not help but frown a little upon. Daphne and Astoria had bought her the book Magical Me written by Gilderoy Lockhart. The last present in the pile was obviously from Narcissa. It had a card lying outside, however, which she chose to read first, knowing that it was the polite thing to do.

_Dearest Hermione_

_I wanted to give you something meaningful this Christmas, considering that it's your first year at Hogwarts, and that you've grown up so quickly. This used to belong to Bella, you dear mother, and was meant to be passed down to you when you were sorted into Slytherin. I know that she would have been very proud of you, and Lucius and I are proud of you too._

_Please note that it has protective abilities, and that you are not supposed to ever take it off._

_Love_

_Narcissa_

Hermione read Narcissa's beautiful handwriting say. Now she was just curious as to what this present could be, so she carefully opened it. Inside the paper was a black velvet box, and inside the box was a beautiful and yet simple goblin made silver necklace. It was a small emerald as a pendant. Hermione proudly put it around her neck, and felt a strange warmth in her entire body. She was wearing her mother's old necklace. No matter how much disgust Augusta Longbottom had compared them with, Hermione could not have been prouder at that moment.


End file.
